"Pick up the phone, baby.": what kind of meme, how did it appear, and who is Toxi$

Memes featuring rapper Toxi$ (real name Andrey Smelyansky) and his track Nobody are gaining popularity on social networks. Users massively play a fragment of an artist's performance for different life situations. All the details are in the Izvestia article.

The history of the meme

The track Nobody was recorded by the artist together with performers Big Baby Tape and Aarne for the album SLAANG, released in November 2025. The song Nobody is dedicated to the difficult relationship of the lyrical hero with a girl who does not answer his calls. The text mentions that the author sought her attention for a long time and spent significant amounts on her.

The lines that have become widespread read as follows: "Pick up the phone, baby. I know you want to call me today. I poured a hundred on you and another hundred on top." Initially, dance videos were mostly filmed for the song on social networks, but the situation changed at the end of February, when a fragment of the artist's live broadcast appeared on the network.

In the video, Toxi$, with his bald head shaved, sings the lines of his hit while sitting in front of a webcam at home. The artist's laid-back performance and appearance attracted the attention of the audience, who turned the musical excerpt into the basis for numerous jokes and parodies.

What are they joking about under the track Toxi$

Memes most often play out a situation where one person cannot reach the other. The lyrics of the song, in which the hero asks the girl to pick up the phone, are perfect for illustrating the annoyance of missed calls. Users show situations where calls are ignored or made only if absolutely necessary.

Jokes about the performer's appearance in the frame have become another popular trend. Users sneer at the decision to shave, showing a dramatic image change in the videos. There are also many videos online in which fans simply parody the rapper's facial expressions and behavior during the stream.

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Who is Toxi$

Andrey Smelyansky is considered one of the brightest representatives of the new wave of Russian hip-hop. His popularity was brought not only by musical experiments in the trap style and the high timbre of his voice, but also by his self-mocking behavior.

The musician often posts video messages with dancing and sketches on his channel, consciously abandoning the image of a harsh rapper in favor of positive and open communication.

Smelyansky began studying music as a teenager. Subsequently, he became interested in rap, inspired by the work of American performers of the genre Lil Pump and Tripple Redd.

In 2019, the artist released his debut album Greener Day$, which contains songs only in English. The work of the aspiring rapper was noticed by Big Baby Tape, who suggested that Andrey create music in Russian.

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